KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai Wednesday blamed Pakistan's extremist Lashkar-i-Jhangvi group for a bomb at a Kabul shrine which killed 55 people, demanding justice from Pakistan, his spokesman said.

The comments are likely to antagonise further already tense relations with Islamabad, which boycotted Monday's Bonn conference on the future of Afghanistan following NATO air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

"The president said he blamed the Pakistani-based militant group Lashkar-i-Jhangvi," said Aimal Faizi following reports of a purported claim from the faction, blamed for scores of similar attacks on Shiites in Pakistan.

"The president said that he will demand Pakistan take executive measures in this regard since this group is based in Pakistan so that justice can be done," Faizi added.

Karzai's comments came as he visited victims of the Kabul blast in hospital. He returned to Kabul earlier Wednesday after cutting short a trip to Europe to deal with the fallout of the unprecedented attack on Afghan Shiites. AGENCIES